We all have a few of these in our collections right?
Those products that we wanted for ages… thought about more frequently than food or sex and then when we eventually found ourselves clutching them in our hot little hands, wished we’d opted for those other thoughts instead.
Here are my current disappointments.
1. Too Faced Absolutely Invisible Candlelight Powder – £18.50
I have a bit of a ‘thing’ for finishing powders, the right one really makes a huge difference.
The reviews for the Too Faced Absolutely Invisible Candlelight Powder are generally pretty good but it’s just a bit too sparkly for me. I’ve tried using different brushes to ensure that I’m not being too heavy handed but I still don’t dig the effect. It’s a nice powder… but the (albeit minute) particles of glitter seem to catch the light in a sparkly rather than glowy way.
2. Make Up For Ever HD Blush – £21.75
Can’t. Blend. It.
It doesn’t look atrocious but it doesn’t look as well-blended as my other blushes and whilst I’m fully aware, confident even, that the problem lies more with my (lack of) skillz than the product… this knowledge doesn’t make me like it more.
Shame ‘cos the shades I own are gorgeous… *sigh*
3. Benefit Erase Paste Concealer – £18.89
I always thought that Erase Paste was for under the eye area and Boi-oing (or whatever it’s called) was for blemishes but for the life of me, I cannot make this work on my dark circles. It cakes and gathers in any fine lines within an hour of wear. It may be heavy duty in terms of coverage but I’m not willing to comprimise about 10 years of my youth for a bit of concealing.
I’ve tried: warming it up before using/buffing it in with a brush/patting it on with my ring finger/setting it with powder/a combination of all the above! Disappointing.
4. Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation – £21.50
I bought this with the hope of mixing it with a moisturiser and really being able to control the amount of coverage I achieved. It gives the ‘death mask’ look when worn alone… which is fine for a night out but unwearable (for me) during the day. I’m fine with this though, I expected it… what I’m not fine with is the fact that everytime I try to use it, it’s separated and takes about 5 minutes to combine with vigorous shaking.
What products in your collection do you wish you loved more? Are you like me and can’t bring yourself to ditch them incase you suddenly get an a-ha moment?
I really don’t like erase paste for the exact reason you mention, its awful!
Agreed! Erase Paste is nasty! It doesn’t work for me and I feel like it has the texture of vaseline, so it’s heavy, icky, and gross. EW! I don’t know why some people like it so much.
Oh, I have full box of those 🙂 disappointments
I don’t like any of Benefits Concealers to be honest as although they do provide decent coverage when applied, they cake and crease like crazy!
p.s you have to try Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer if you hate creasing and want coverage 🙂
I’m with you on Erase Paste. It just sits there unloved at the bottom of my drawer. I’ve tried to make it work but it’s a bit of a lost cause.x
I have become a gradual fan of erase paste after many tries.. although sometimes it does crease in the lines etc others times it is amazing
I totally agree with you when it comes to the hd blush.
I love my two mufe’s hd blushes only for the fact that they look so pretty in the packaging, im absolutely useless in applying it. Ive tried using stippling blush, small fluffy eyeshadow blush, it just seems to instantly dry when i apply it leaving it blotchy on my cheeks. what a waste 🙁
Benefit products often disappoint me, especially for the price. I’m regretting buying The Porefessional primer. Liked it at first but as time goes on, I’m realising it’s not actually doing anything for me.
I also have never got on with Too Faced Shadow Insurance. I know lots of people swear by it but I hate the runny consistency and find it difficult to apply.
Shame about the MUFE blush – I don’t own one but have always considered getting one. Now, maybe not!
My tfsi is never runny! Try shaking it a bit, that might help. I use a tiny amount and rub it on my eyelids with my fingers.
Is it wrong that you have totally made me want to buy too faced candlelight powder now? haha
I have the YSL Touche Eclat sitting in my drawer and just don’t understand what the hype is about! It does nothing for my dark circles or blemishes… x
Hi Steph,
I hate it too and recently a make up artist friend told me it doesnt work as a concealer for most people as it is too pink. Try using it as a highlighting product (so on your cupids bow etc) and you might get more use out of it. Every other country sells all the TE shades but we just get the pink one in the UK…annoying!
I love Erase Paste and use it most days. I put it on with a brush and set it with a powder. My pot has lasted for ages as well.
I have a tube of MUFE HD blush as well, which was a gift from a friend. I hope I can make it work!
I too don’t understand Erase Paste. I’ve only tried it at the counter, but I’ve gone a couple of times because I want to like it! It’s just creases so badly on me though, which is a shame because I’d love to find something to conceal my scary blue under eye circles. 🙂 xxx
Have you tried dotting the MUFE HD blush in the places where you want it on your face and then buffing with a clean stippling brush? A friend of mine had trouble with blending until I showed her that method (as opposed to concentrating the blush on one part of the face or putting the product directly on the brush).
I want to love Clinique’s turnaround concentrate but I suspect it of giving me little pimples all over everytime I use it. I still keep it though and I’ve used around a fifth of the bottle.
You should take it back. Clinique are great at refunding / advising if you’re allergic to the product.
I apply the MUFE HD blush as Vijaya describes above, but the formula settles into every pore on my face. My pores aren’t that pronounced but when I wear this blush, my face looks like a DC Comics illustration.
I feel like I’m the only person in the whole world that doesn’t “get” Clarins Beauty Flash Balm. I know you just kind of pat it on the skin instead of rubbing it in but my skin never looks any tighter or brighter. Any ideas?
For me it is Sobe Botanicals Eye primer and Stick it. It got so many rave reviews and I wanted to love it (and the savings) but it REALLY does not work for me. Messy Crease city in about 2 hours no matter how I use or put under it. 🙁
I had the same problem with the MUFE HD blush until I added a tiny drop of moisturizer to it. That helped it blend perfectly (especially with a flat-top brush).
Oh no, I just bought HD blush yesterday…dammit!! Hope I can manage it now…..fingers crossed!!!
Nope, I know exactly what you mean about the Erase Paste! Works wonderfully on some skins, but I just can’t get it to stay creaseless on others (no matter what). I have a tub of it tucked away as well; just waiting for the a-ha! 😛
I have a few products that fall into this category but the one that springs to mind first is MAC Magically Cool Liquid Powder in Truth & Light from the Venomous Villians collection. It never seems to blend right and it clings even though I have zero dry patches. What’s worse is as the day wears it starts to vanish from my oiler areas and gives the appears of me wearing a sparklie foundation mask of some kind. I really think the problem is me but I swear I’m doing what several MAC counter girls have showed me to do. I LOVE this product but I can’t make it work on my face. Maybe I’ll try applying it to a bare face and see how it goes instead of as a finishing powder.
Lisa Eldridge has a good method of using the mufe HD blush. She adds the product to the back of her hand, warms it up and then picks it up with a brush. One of her videos demonstrates this, check it out! X
Bobbi Brown Illuminating foundation. No coverage and just a great big greasy shiny face. Yeurch. And if I powder over the top I get cake face. Hoping it will work for my Mum when she comes up for Easter so I can give it to her. And Elemis Pro-Collagen night and day cream, boils the size of cauliflowers. Selling it to a friend thank god!
I have to agree with you on the Too Faced Candlelight. It’s a shame because in some lights it’s a nice effect… But it’s definitely sparkly in others. I have tried lots of illuminating finishing powders and my absolute favorite is MAC beauty powder in Too Chic. I’ll probably have to buy another one. Are the MAC beauty powders ALWAYS limited edition?
UD’s Naked Palette. Which made me really sad as it’s probably THE most popular/coveted make-up item to come out in a while, but the colors just didn’t work for me. Maybe I should have known since I don’t like matte eyeshadows generally, but it was still disappointing.
I have waaaay too many disappointments to list here, but since many retailers are now pretty forthcoming with the samples, that number has gone down significantly. On the vein of your MUFE bummer though, I have to say I was sincerely let down over the HD foundation- so many people rave rave rave about it, and I didn’t think it was special at all. For such a wide shade range, MUFE still lacks an ultra-pale option that isn’t pink based. I also felt the MUFE HD Foundation made me look flat and lifeless, emphasized expression lines and pores, and got cakey when I attempted to build coverage. Oh well.
Just a quick mention on the Illamasqua foundation- I have the rich liquid too, and I’ll admit she’s a finicky little bitch. I did discover that a dense, flat-topped brush is *the* brush to use to apply this, and is KEY to blending it enough that you can actually wear it during the day. I love e.l.f’s Studio powder brush for this- it’s literally the only brush that I think stands up to the tahini-like texture of the foundation! Also, I’m sure you’ve probably already tried this, but mixing it in with a bit of moisturizer, primer or liquid highlighter does wonders too- I actually lighten mine with Face Atelier’s Zero Minus, and just adding that silky thin mixer makes it more wearable for me. I did find a few things that simply wouldn’t blend w/the Rich Liquid formulation, but those that do turn it into a much friendlier animal!
I have a box I call the mascara graveyard. Really that’s where I’ve been disappointed the most. Other products even if they aren’t my favorite I usually find a way to sneak them in. But there is no forgiving a bad mascara. I’ve got everything from dior to revlon in the graveyard.
Oh and nars orgasm. Just looks awful on me.
Re: Nars orgasm, I second that it looks awful on me too and I don’t understand the fuss. Infact I find the whole range disappointing, everything I have tried just doesn’t look right on me.
I agree with you about the erase paste not really working under the eyes, but I’ve found a few good uses for it. It works great for me on the redness in the crease where my nostrils meet my face. I also use it as a “cream eyeshadow” on my lids and then top with translucent powder for those days that I don’t want to look like I’m wearing makeup but still want to look awake.
Amen.My big product letdown is benefit lip plump,just kinda like putting foundation on your lips.
I’ve always avoided Benefit Erase Paste and Bobbi Brown’s Creamy Concealer for the reasons you outline above: I’m afraid that they will cake and crease because of the thickness of the formula.
Great post! I always find these so useful 🙂
I love Benefit’s Erase Paste 😀 The trick is to use the TINIEST amount under your eyes. I take a bit on the tip of a regular concealer brush and place it evenly under my eyes and blend it in with my fingers. It doesn’t cake up on me at all and brightens my undereyes wonderfully 🙂 I only use a tiny bit so the mini pot I had when Sephora had it in a kit for $10 with 2 other minis is lasting at least another year ^^
I have to say I’m sad to hear about the TF powder. One of the products that falls into the disappointment category with me is the eve pearl salmon concealer in light. It’s just too dark for my skintone and either I’m completely using it wrong or it just keeps settling into the fine lines around my eyes.
Well, you just saved me wasting £18.89 in Benefit Erase Paste Concealer. No way I am buying this. I am paranoid enough as it is with stuff too thick under my eyes xx
thank you xx
Oh I hadn’t visited your blog in the last few days, congrats on the new layout Charlotte! 🙂 One of the most disappointing products ever for me was Maybelline Great Lash Mascara.. I really can’t understand why it’s considered number 1 lol! The formula was too wet and it did nothing for my lashes. I used it up, but I won’t be buying it again for sure. x
Can’t blend the HD blush properly either. It comes out patchy on my cheeks if I’m not careful xx
Oh I always want to love Benefit products but they never work for me the way they claim they will. Ugh so frustrating! I got a free small sample of Erase Paste and it doesn’t do anything.
My biggest let down has to be MUFE HD foundation, got colour matched at Sephora during my last trip to the US and it looked great, get it home and it looks garbage everytime I try and apply it. I keep trying it about once a month but I’m yet to master applying it. Any suggestions? I so want to love it (and not to have wasted $40!)
I struggle with mine too. I’ve had better success applying it with a sponge or thinning it on the back of my hand with some moisturiser.
with erase paste, less is more. when u think ur using less, cut it in half! hahah i HATED that product until i figured it out after MONTHS. i put it on the back of my hand.. then pat it out to thin it out even more. then once it looks like i’ve basically blended it all into my hand.. i can pat it under my eye. works like a dream but u have to REALLY work to thin it out more than you would expect. i’ve never purchase it again though. days i try to pat it on straight from jar(instead of thinning it on my hand), it looks nasty in my expression lines. i cant imagine ever trying this on a pimple. the texture would slide off!
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